Freeburg man charged over threats to parole officer

Freeburg man charged over threats to parole officer

Cole County prosecutors on Monday charged Richard D. Love, 28, of Freeburg, with tampering with a judicial officer, for making threats about his probation officer.

He was being held on $50,000 bond in the Cole County Jail.

Police arrested Love about 10:55 a.m. Monday, on an outstanding warrant, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement filed with the charge.

While taking Love from the Probation and Parole office on West Main Street to the jail, police said Love "became irate with the victim" and made statements indicating that, "once he posted bond for the (arrest) warrant, he was going to return to the victim's place of employment and 'spit in his face.'"

The parole officer was also "highly alarmed and was worried that (Love) would return" to the parole office and cause harm.

The charge is a Class D felony.

If there's a conviction, the sentence could include up to seven years in prison.

Love has previous Cole County convictions for distributing a controlled substance and for possessing it.